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Negaprion acutidens
Negaprion acutidens (''Sicklefin lemon shark)' Kingdom: '''Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Carcharhiniformes Family: Carcharhinidae Genus: Negaprion Species: Negaprion acutidens Environment: milieu, climate zone, depth range, distribution range: Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 92 m. Tropical; 30°N - 32°S, 32°E - 140°W. Distribution: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and South Africa (including Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar) to Philippines, north to Viet Nam, south to Australia. Also from Palau, Marshall Islands, and Tahiti. Recorded from Taiwan. Size, weight, age: Max. length: 3.80 m; weight: ?'; age: '? Short description: The sicklefin lemon shark has a robust, stocky body and a short, broad head. The snout is rounded or almost wedge-shaped, with small nostrils bearing triangular flaps of skin in front. The eyes are small, with no spiracles. Short furrows are present at the corners of the mouth. Thirteen to 16 (usually 14) tooth rows occur on either side of both jaws, not including the tiny teeth at the symphysis (the jaw midline). The upper teeth have a large cusp rising from a broad base, with a notch on each side; these teeth become increasingly angled towards the corners of the mouth. The lower teeth resemble the upper teeth, but are narrower and more erect. The teeth of sharks over 1.4 m (4.6 ft) long are finely serrated. The fins (especially the dorsal, pectoral, and pelvics) of the sicklefin lemon shark are more falcate (sickle-shaped) than those of the otherwise very similar American lemon shark. The first dorsal fin is positioned closer to the pelvic than the pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin, nearly equal to the first in size, is located over or slightly forward of the anal fin. No ridge is seen between the dorsal fins. The pectoral fins are long and broad, originating below the space between the third and fourth gill slits. The anal fin has a strong notch in the rear margin. The precaudal pit (a cavity just forward of the caudal fin) is oriented longitudinally. The large dermal denticles are overlapping and bear three to five horizontal ridges each. The coloration is a plain yellowish brown or gray above and lighter below, with more yellow on the fins. This species attains a maximum known length of 3.8 m (12 ft), though it typically does not exceed 3.1 m (10 ft). Biology: Found on continental and insular shelves and terraces. Common on coral reefs and in shallow, sandy lagoons and turbid, mangrove swamps. Feeds on smaller sharks, stingrays and on benthic bony fishes. Viviparous. Dangerous if provoked. 1 to 11 of 45 cm young are born per litter. Meat is utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, fins for shark-fin soup base, and liver oil for vitamins. Life cycle and mating behavior: Viviparous, placental, 1-14 per litter. Gestation period 10-11 months. Size at birth about 50 to 70 cm; 45-80 cm. Distinct pairing with embrace. Mating and pupping take place during late spring and early summer. Main reference: Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO IUCN Red List Status: ENDANGERED (''EN)' '''CITES: Not Evaluated CMS: Not Evaluated Threat to humans: Traumatogenic Human uses: FAO. Category:Carcharhinidae, Sharks